Trial For Wilkinsburg Mass Shooting To Begin Soon

WILKINSBURG, Pa. (WPXI) — The two men accused of killing five people and an unborn baby at a backyard cookout in Wilkinsburg nearly four years ago are set for trial. The trial will start Monday with jury selection, as Cheron Shelton and Robert Thomas each face six counts of homicide after the mass shooting on Franklin Avenue in March 2016. Investigators said the two men were targeting a man at the cookout over an incident in 2013. He survived the shooting. Through court paperwork and testimony, investigators claim Thomas fired a shot near the backyard, causing people to run toward the porch to safety. That’s where Shelton was allegedly standing when he opened fire. It happened in 2016, a time frame defense attorney Phil DiLucente believes will work in the defense’s favor. DiLucente also said jury selection could make or break the case since jurors will have to decide who to believe. He told Channel 11 there is no “direct evidence,” such as DNA or the gun used, but rather a lot of testimony. The judge issued a gag order in the case, meaning no one involved in the trial is allowed to speak publicly. The actual trial isn’t scheduled to begin until February.